THE FRINGE IS BACK: OVER 18,000 AUDIENCE MEMBERS ATTEND SHOWS AT NEW VENUE MULTISTORY
The new open-air venue created in the NCP Castle Terrace car park was created by ZOO, Gilded Balloon, Dance Base and Traverse
Socially distanced audiences flocked to MultiStory to experience the Fringe atmosphere after the Edinburgh Festivals were cancelled in 2020
The MultiStory programme included new shows from Jason Byrne, Dirty Protest, African Groove Machine, fully sold-out run of Sunshine on Leith and the return of A Play, a Pie and a Pint
Over 18,000 audience members have attended shows at MultiStory, the new Covid-secure open-air venue from Gilded Balloon, ZOO, Dance Base and Traverse in the NCP Car Park in the shadow of Edinburgh’s historic castle.
After the Fringe was cancelled in 2020, MultiStory was conceived by ZOO and Gilded balloon, along with Dance Base and Traverse as producing partners, to help revitalise the Fringe on its return in 2021, employing local Scottish artists and staff, with the majority of the programme consisting of Scottish artists, such as Shooglenifty, Fred MacAulay, Leah MacRae, Captivate Theatre, Slanjayvah Danza and Dance Ihayami.
The new festival hub in the heart of Edinburgh’s cultural quarter was sponsored by Edinburgh’s favourite local brewery Innis & Gunn. MultiStory also hosted food and drink stalls from the Pitt, Edinburgh’s pioneering, independent street food market, as part of the venue’s pledge to support from local businesses affected by the pandemic.
The MultiStory programme included multiple sell-out shows, like Captivate Theatre’s Sunshine on Leith, Jason Byrne’s Audience Precipitation and Alice Rabbit’s Aye-Cons, two world premieres from Matsena Productions (Rituel) and Dirty Protest (Double Drop), and new shows for families, like the eco-musical Bicycle Boy and Funbox’s Back to the Fringe; alongside this was the return of festival favourites like former Poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy and multi-instrumentalist virtuoso John Sampson, as well as Éowyn Emerald and Dancers with Your Tomorrow.
MultiStory was made possible by the ‘Gateway’ funding from the Scottish Government, Edinburgh City Council and EventScotland and awarded to Gilded Balloon and ZOO in conjunction with Dance Base and the Traverse. For the first time the four organisations have worked together to co-present a new outdoor programme of work to local audiences in Edinburgh.
Social distancing and Covid safety measures, including mask-wearing, cleaning, hand sanitizing, contactless e-tickets and regular testing of staff and performers remained in place for the whole festival, despite the First Minister’s relaxation of rules on 9 August. Social distancing was maintained throughout, with audiences seated in social bubbles.
All the MultiStory partners would like to thank Edinburgh City Council, EventScotland and the Scottish government for making this programme possible, as well as NCP for their support.
Katy Koren, Artistic Director of Gilded Balloon, said: “We've been delighted to be able to provide a platform for artists again this Fringe. It's been challenging under the circumstances but ultimately rewarding to ensure the live performance could go ahead safely this year. Working with a new collaboration of venues at this beautiful new location with Edinburgh's Castle as our stage's backdrop has been an incredible experience for us all. We'd like to thank the Scottish Government, the City of Edinburgh Council, Event Scotland, NCP and the city of Edinburgh residents for supporting this new cultural hub this Fringe.”
James Mackenzie, Artistic Director of ZOO, said: “This year’s festival has been a resounding success for everyone involved. We’re delighted to have worked with three brilliant partners to bring the Festival Fringe back to the city – I’m incredibly proud of everything we’ve achieved, and the tremendous critical and commercial response to the programme. None of this would have been possible without the artists and shows who took a gamble on MultiStory back in June, when it was a new venue in a very uncertain time. As we look forward to next year and what it might hold for the Edinburgh Festivals, what has taken place across the Fringe this year is testament to what can be achieved with public investment in Edinburgh’s greatest cultural asset and the world’s largest arts festival.”
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